Home > Great American Court Cases > Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser

Legal Citation: 478 U.S. 675 (1986)

Petitioner
Bethel School District in Pierce County, Washington State

Respondent
Matthew Fraser, a student at Bethel High School

Petitioner's Claim
School authorities should be permitted to discipline students that use language those authorities consider offensive.

Chief Lawyers for Petitioner
William A. Coats, Clifford D. Foster, Jr.

Chief Lawyers for Respondent
Jeffrey T. Haley and Charles S. Sims

Justices for the Court
Harry A. Blackmun, William J. Brennan, Jr., Warren E. Burger (writing for the Court), Sandra Day O'Connor, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., William H. Rehnquist, Byron R. White

Justices Dissenting
Thurgood Marshall, John Paul Stevens

Place
Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision
7 July 1986

Decision
The First Amendment...